Sunset

Everyone gathered around the trees. Community was always the best part of this town, there wasn't ever much to other it. However the people in it were extraordinary, with good hearts and decent emotions. Feelings and emotions don't define us as people, however our actions do. 

I never listened to anyone, i was always a trouble maker in school which usually lead to failure. Meanwhile, i left school with no qualifications and i'm now a business owner with an amazing family. Who said qualifications defined everything in life, because i strongly disagree. This is my story.

As i said, everyone gathered around the trees ready for the big community bonfire, and of course i saw this as an opportunity to take this event for granted by ruining it. I had remembered my dads fireworks were in the back of our family shed and i manged to grab some and fill my pockets with these fireworks. I then ran back to the bonfire and threw a load of them into the fire and which then lead to many being injured due to them ferociously exploding. I had known the income before  i had even stepped foot in that rotten shed. However i still took the time to arrange something so destructive. 

I was arrested. 10 years they said. Lonely isolation. Sentenced to arsenal and attempted murder of the 3rd degree. 

I'm now 27, recently released from a 9 year sentence based on good behaviour. I had no money, no family as they disowned me for destroying the family name and most of all, no hope. Like i said its actions that matter not emotions or feelings. 

My work started now. I joined drug gangs, robbed a few places and even threatened to kill someone. Many people base others due to their past, and as you can tell, i don't have a very pleasant one i'm not going to deny that. I knew what i was doing was wrong, again. But there's no way i was going to let my conscience stop me from earning £2,000 a week. This was the most money i think i had ever earned, but again i knew the way i was earning it was everything but the right way of earning a respectable living. 

Eventually i made myself see clearly. A middle aged man, bitter, rotten smelling, as if his face was eroding away with the most disgusting teeth i had ever laid eyes on, turned around to me and asked me "well son. What do you do with your earnings? You clearly earn a lot of money, you must be doing something right, a man like you seems so utterly wonderful." My heart dropped, i gasped and replied with pure disrespect. "Now why do you think you are, you vile creature. What i do for a living has nothing to do with someone of your standard." I had then rushed out of the coffee shop in such a violent way. I had never been so ashamed of myself, of what i did, my past, everything.

I laid awake the entire night, submerged in my thoughts, drowning in my sorrows. I called my so called manager at 3 am. I quit my job, this wasn't an easy job to exit. I chose to run away, fresh start and changed my name. 

Joe Thompson, was my new name, my new life, my fresh start.

New York was my new home. The atmosphere was like no other, i was a stranger to the world and had no idea on how this world chose to work. I was scared, anxious and a little excited, as i had no idea what the future held for me. 

1 year later into the present.

Life was good, full of surprises and outbursts of happiness and joy. I was Chief Executor of the 4th largest company in America 'WIND-WORKERS'. I had recently come into contact with my parents which i had harshly rejected, as i was finally seen as finally accepted into the Scot-chem family. If they didn't want me at my lowest, they couldn't have me at my highest either. 

I had recently also met a wonderful woman named Alissa, and oh was she wonderful. Shes 32 and i'm now 28. We had been together for nearly 10 months and were engaged, and i've never been so happy. My life had finally built off nothing, pure hard work, a respectable living. I had a wonderful fiance with a gorgeous boy on the way, my life was complete, i had gained everything i just wanted in my life. 

I recently come into a lot of spare time off work to help Alissa. As i looked over what i had accomplished, i remembered that the man i recalled as being smelly and a vile  reaction was the reason i had changed my life completely, i did some research and had found out he had got lung cancer, such a horrible, heart destroying diagnosis. 

I flew back to London, Shoreditch where i had grown up and payed him a visit, i don't think he recognised me until i had mentioned who i was and how we had met and spoke. His name was Edmund. I judged him without actually knowing him based on the way he looked and i'm still ashamed of what i did. I had given him a check of £20,000 and thanked him for everything and that i would email him every now and then about everything that was going on, he had the most wonderful family and i was just ever so grateful, he may not have done a lot, but it meant a lot to me for him giving me the correct motivation, to do what i really knew deep inside my life was really capable of.

He now had enough money for surgery and was cured after 7 and a half long months after being in the hospital nearly everyday. Alissa had our child, i cant explain my happiness to watch my first child to be born surrounded by family who knew nothing of my past, they knew i had a terrible past that pained me to talk about, they had great respect for me and wouldn't disown me based on their judgement. This was family, real family. I had a rough start to life, but i was given a second chance and i wasn't taking it for granted this time.

I lived forever happy with my family and my work. Joe Thompson, Alissa Thompson and little Edmund. 

''Feelings and emotions don't define us as people, however our actions do.''